The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-03
A PRIVILEGED PASSENGER.
His Fare Is Never Paid and Yet He Travels
Daily Without MoleStation.

There is one persistent deadhead passenger on
the street railway lines. The printed admoni-
ton "Put your fare in the box, change will be
furnished by the driver" has no effect upon
him. He violates no other rule of the Company
than the simple but most important one-he
never pays fare. His department. is in all
other respects admirable. He never stands on
the bobta to the annoyance Of everyone get
ting on or off the car. in order to save the last
half-i nch of 'toofer," or to poison the air
with the deadly effluvium of cigarette
He always goes into the car and
is quiet and unobtrusive. He never splits
upon the floor nor engages in political
or baseball controversies with loud and opinion
ated persons. This dead-head passenger is
known to majority of the streetcar drivers
over the city, but is best known to those on the
Observation-Disclosures line, which is the one he
chiefly patronizes His nameis don" he is of
Italian extraction, and has for twelve years made
mis- home with Charles W. Nickum. This Italian
greyhound has. for the past two and half or
three years. had mania for riding on the street
cars, and often will ride nearly all day. - Passen-
gers on Massachusetts, avenue Vhe line
upon which Don resides, have come
to know him, and rather encourage him.
Don doesn't need much encouragement. An
open street-car door, If only aiar for moment
as the car goes by. is sufficient Early in the
morning. that is soon after he has had his break
fast, he will trot out to the sidewalk and enter
the first down car. After reaching Washington
street he is likely to change cars without going
through the formality of transfer, and IL makes
little difference what line he gets on. AT noon he
generally manages to ride home in good form on
q Massachusetts avenue car 1t is not exactly
known whether he has some way of distinguish
ing that line from the others not, but
he probably knows its drivers and passen gers
from seeing them more frequently. That this
supposition is nearly correct would appear to be
the case from little circumstance that hap
pened the other cay About gentleman
who lives in the neighborhood of Dons home,
and who is a regular patron OF the Massachu-
setts-avenue line, stepped upon an East Wash
ington-street car. having business near Arsenal
avenue, and had hardly cot n when Don, whom
he had not noticed before, darted
in after him, wagging his tail
his old neighbor who then carefully closed the
door behind him. When the gentleman got out
Of the Don alighted aud looked about A
foolish shipper appeared upon mis- usually intel
ligent face, which was followed by a look of
deep disgust. When the gentleman had trans
acted his business, occupying ten minutes or MORE
and on reappearing looked about for Don, the
Italian greyhound was nowhere to be seen. He
had probably taken areturn car and at the corner
Of Pennsylvania and Washington streets had
made the proper transfer and gone home.
Don is never i'll treated by passengers or driv-
ers. He IS of distinguished appearance and not
q dog to invite kicking, as he has no crlnging,
currish ways. No paying passenger ever enters
a car with greater assurance than Don and mono
has keener enjoyment of travel